At 0700 when the car collected Jane in Avonhead there were two trampers on board. At West Melton Gavin joined us. The fourth, Graeme joined the team at Waddington and we were on our way. From Klondyke Corner we were walking by 0915 on a clear, calm day.

The first bone-chilling river crossing was over the full flow of the Waimak as we headed over to skirt Turkey Flat. Opposite the Crow River we had a great view of the Crow Glacier and the low peak of Mt Rolleston. If you get stuck on river gravel too long the walk can become tedious but we managed to find long stretches of “carpeted” flats, and nearer the hut, a section through beech forest. Looking up Greenlaw Creek we thought we could see Mounts Harper and Speight where the club was hoping to go on Labour weekend but was put off by an un-favourable weather forecast. At Carrington Hut, early afternoon we had a choice of 36 beds in four bunkrooms. We were the only ones there. Not only that, there was a pleasing shortage of sandflies, unlike at Klondyke corner. After a cuppa we took a stroll up to the Clough Cableway. Back at the hut we had soup, read the hut literature and studied the map. Dinner was a lentil spaghetti concoction with the traditional custard dessert.

Sunday dawned fine and sunny. From the front door of the hut we were treated to the magnificent view of Carrington Peak. The walk back to the car was a simple re-tracing of Saturday’s steps. We drove back still not knowing what had happened at Twickenham. We’d had a good long, flat walk.